Stolen
by fortheloveofgeekery
Summary: Maggie is lost and Glenn is left to try to pick up the pieces. Liv (OC) is devastated as well and together they try to heal. Glenn and Rick now having expirienced the same tragedy become closer as well...Relationships bloom within the group as they try to cope with their losses. Reviews welcome. The first chapter is quite short, but I was itching to get it started.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Liv ran to Maggie and dropped to her knees.

"No…no no no…". She stroked Maggie's face and held her close, dark blood streaming from her neck.

She was bitten, and she wouldn't last long. Liv rocked her back and forth and sobbed. "I love you. I love you. Maggie. I'm sorry. Please…"

A weak hand reached up and touched Liv's cheek. She spoke but her words were garbled as blood ran down her throat. "…best friend…tell Glenn…love him". Her hand dropped and her eyes glazed. Liv screamed and pounded at her chest as she wept.

In the distance, Rick yelled to her. "Get away from her! Liv!". He was running as fast as he could, but his legs were weak and his voice cracked when he spoke.

Not another one of their own. Not this soon. Not ever again.

Liv looked up and saw him coming towards them. Behind him, a little ways back, she saw Glenn.

Something awoke in her, a fierce determination to protect someone she loves, the way she had failed to protect Maggie, and she forced herself to stand up. Forced her legs to move. Willed herself to stop shaking.

She ran past Rick, wild eyed. She was running so quickly she couldn't slow herself down, body flushed with adrenalin. She crashed into Glenn and wrapped her arms around him tight. He tried to push forward, tears running down his face. He knew the worst had occurred.

"Let me GO! Let me see her!". His slight frame made it possible for Liv to keep him away. "I need to see her…", he whimpered, and his knees bucked. Liv got down on the ground with him and held him to her chest. She didn't know what to do, he was in almost as bad of shape as he was. She stroked his hair and rocked him. His body shook with sobs. He felt so fragile, so small.

They remain there together, weeping, clutching each other like frightened children.

In the distance, a single gun shot was fired.


	2. Chapter 2

Sometime in early morning Glenn and Beth had finally fallen asleep. Soft blue light filtered into the room when Liv realized she was the only one awake.

The three of them piled into the bed that Glenn and Maggie had shared and cried themselves into exhaustion. Liv was in the middle with an arm protectively around Maggie's little sister.

Hershel had gone to his room not soon after the incident. He fought with his faith, sitting on his bed with his head in his hands. In the end he ended up praying for strength. He had to go on-he still had Beth, and the others…Glenn and Liv were like children to him. The rest of the group…he still had people to care for.

It took everything in him to be thankful for anything at all in this life, but he thanked God that his relationship with Maggie was strong when she went. She knew how much he loved her and how proud he was to be able to call her his daughter…

Liv heard him crying through the wall and she started to break again. She slipped away from Glenn and Beth, scooting to the bottom of the bed making sure not to disturb them.

She made her way downstairs, stopping in the hall to catch her breath-she could feel a panic attack coming on. She had to be strong for these people she loved so much, tried to put on a brave face and hold them up but Maggie was her best friend…she felt a piece of her missing already. A hole she knew would only grow in time.

She paced into the living room and sat in the middle of the couch. Rick was sitting right across from her in an old rocking chair and she didn't even notice until he said her name.

Jumping a bit, she let her shoulders fall forward. She knew Rick was feeling heavy as well but he was the one person she could expose some of her devastation to.

When Lori died, Liv was there for him. It was easier to be strong for him with her passing because she wasn't particularly close to Lori. She was glad for this because she wanted very much to help Rick and Carl heal, and to an extent she hoped she did. It was still a…work in progress, though.

"How are you holding up?" he asked softly. His eyes were soft and kind.

She felt herself crack, then, shaking her head as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Rick moved over to her and stroked her hair. "I'm so sorry, Liv". His voice was soothing and she leaned into him, letting herself cry freely. He put an arm around her shoulder and squeezed her to him.

"You need to rest, Liv…" He moved over to the end of the couch and put a pillow over his lap. He also grabbed the blanket hanging over the back before patting the pillow. "Lay down?"

Her eyes closed involuntarily and she nodded weakly. "You…thank you", she managed, laying her head down.

He opened the blanket over her and she tucked it in on herself, hugging some of the extra bit of fabric to her aching chest. He ran a gentle hand through her hair slowly, soothing her as best he could. It wasn't long before his eyes slipped shut, but he reflexively continued his strokes.

Under his care, she was able to fall asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Liv felt soft lips on her forehead and was coaxed awake. Her eyes fluttered open slowly, sleepily, and she drifted in and out a few times before looking up at Rick's face.

He was slightly embarrassed, not expecting a single soft kiss to stir her.

"Sorry…", he mustered.

She raised a hand to his cheek and closed her eyes. "Thank you, Rick."

He shook his head in question but she put a finger against his lips before rolling over on her side and burying her face in his lap. "Just give me a minute", she said, voice muffled against him. "Just let me feel safe and comforted here."

"O-of course. Whatever you need." He began to pet her softly, touches somewhat awkward but honest.

Rick still wasn't over Lori. He was amazed that he could be affectionate and comforting to Liv when he had such a huge hole inside him. Maybe it was because she tried so hard to close it up. They were platonic but loving towards each other. Some days it got a little…confused. He tried to shut his thoughts down and just exist in the quiet moment. They rarely got them, and once the others woke up it'd be another heartbreaking day.

Liv was surprised by her emotions. She wanted Rick to scoop her up and hold her close…and she didn't know if it was just circumstance or something else. She too pushed her thoughts to the back of her mind.

Yesterday, before the attack, she and Maggie were cooking dinner for the group. Chicken, lemon garlic potatoes, green beans, and cornbread-the sweet kind. They loved cooking together and feeding everyone and this was a bit more sophisticated than their every day meals.

Sometimes Glenn would just sit at the table and watch them interact. The chemistry between the three was impeccable. Liv never felt like a third wheel, just felt like she belonged with the two of them.

She lingered in Rick's lap for as long as possible, before the grim responsibility ahead forced her up. She kissed his cheek before standing.

"Where are you going?" he asked quietly.

"To dig the grave", she replied.

"You aren't doing that by yourself. There's no reason for it."

"Glenn, Beth, Hershel. They aren't doing it. And you need to sleep, I kept you up quite a bit last night."

"You didn't keep-"

"Rick. I'm okay. Lay down. Rest."

He sighed in defeat and spread out on the couch. Liv managed a small smile for him and covered him up before heading out of the front door.

Standing on the porch, she took in her surroundings.

No walkers to be seen, sun shining, wind blowing pleasantly around her.

A few mockingbirds perched on the fence brought tears to her eyes. Maggie and Liv used to watch them fly around and dip their tails from side to side like a wind up toy-it truly looked mechanical.

She made her way to the shed slowly, trying to focus on the little things that still existed in these times that were pure and free. Sun, birds, memories. Green grass and blue skies. The world was still alive in nature.

Grabbing the shovel with the longest handle, she paused when she heard the sound of a tool being driven into dry earth.

She followed the sound and it lead to Daryl who was also using a shovel and had a pickaxe stuck in the ground next to him. He'd already started.

He looked up at Liv when he saw her shadow in front of him. "The ground is pretty hard and dry. Been breakin' it up. Finally gettin' somewhere".

Liv smiled affectionately. "Its not your job, Daryl."

"It ain't any less my job than it is yours, so hush."

She thought about this a minute before standing beside him with her shovel. "Well, its me and you", she said softly as she drove her shovel into the earth.

"I hope Glenn and Beth sleep late. Their bodies are…they're exhausted."

Daryl nodded and looked Liv straight in the face. "I'm sorry", he said. "We all liked Maggie, but you were especially close."

She felt tears welling up in her eyes again and plunged her shovel back into the dirt.


	4. Chapter 4

**Help! I need feedback. What do you guys think so far? What about Liv and Rick and their dynamic? I must admit they are harder to write than Rose and Daryl...who just feel so natural and right together. I am determined to write a Rick/OC story that is solid...I just don't know if this will be it. ...I don't know where this one will end up, either, it may not be a Rick/OC story at all. **

Rick was contemplating happier times as he dozed in and out of sleep. When he was finally fully present in the dreaming world his memory continued to play there.

They'd been drinking, all of them. Everyone was jovial and light. The kids were asleep, tucked in safe in their beds. The group had gotten a lot accomplished that day. Between scouting for supplies and getting the house organized-finally getting to where everyone had a decent space and place to sleep, they were content and ready to reward themselves.

Liv had dug Scrabble out of the closet and honestly intended to play-Maggie, Glenn, and Rick were going to play with her-but they barely got started before they were too inebriated to continue.

Daryl, Andrea, Carol, and Herschel (the latter forgoing the alcohol for a cup of coffee) watched with amusement as the four of them struggled to organize their letters and spell words.

Rick received a slap on the hand from Liv when he leaned into her and turned her letters slightly so he could see them. Not realizing it, that night was the first night in months that he hadn't thought about Lori, and it wasn't because he was drinking.

Standing up, Liv raised her hand until everyone was looking at her. "We can do this!" she said with a chuckle. "We're adults, dammit! And we can play fucking Scccrabble!"

"Sccccrabble!" Maggie repeated, grinning. She stood up, across the table from Liv and raised her glass towards her. Liv knocked hers against it with enthusiasm before taking her seat sloppily.

"Well, that's out", Liv laughed, leaning against Rick and looking up at him with her bright green eyes.

He smiled down at her. "You're…looking curious."

Maggie clapped her hands together. "I love it! You know, she looks curious a lot! She's so cute!"

"Dawwwwww", Liv replied, blushing.

"Ya'll are crazy", Daryl said with a grin.

At the sound of his voice, Liv nudged Rick as if she'd just told him an inside joke. "Daryl! Glenn! Arm wrestle!" She blinked. "Please?!"

The two men looked at each other and shrugged, scooting closer together and putting their arms up on the table.

"Yessss!" Maggie encouraged.

As one would probably guess, Daryl took Glenn down in a matter of seconds.

"Yeah, you guys should thank me for being such a good sport. We all knew how that'd pan out." Glenn said with a good natured smile on his face.

A couple hours later found most of the group ready to turn in. They dispersed languidly with tipsy, happy faces, making their way to their respective beds.

Liv remained seated, gently swishing the wine around in her glass.

Rick was still next to her. "When did you start drinking wine…?" he asked.

Her eyes lit up like she had gotten away with something. "When you had enough alcohol in you not to notice…" she giggled. Wine made Liv giggly and excitable-a side of herself that didn't come out much outside of drinking the ruby liquid.

He shook his head. "Sneaky girl. That's why you have that look in your eyes."

"You caught me…red handed." Another giggle. "Get it? Red handed? The wine?"

Rick laughed, nodding. "I get it, Liv, I get it." He thought for a moment. "I like seeing you like this."

Her eyes were bright. "So do I…and I like seeing _you_ like this, too."

Running a hand through his hair, he gave her a knowing look without a hint of sorrow. Her reaction was to kiss his cheek, and he put one arm around her. They sat like that, content for some time.

Rick woke to a strange sensation. His mind was foggy with imagery from the dream that seemed immensely real-possibly because it was, just as something in the past.

Liv had wedged herself slightly underneath him on the couch. His arm was around her. He hadn't been so physically close to someone in a long time, and it was comforting. Lifting his head to look at her face, he smiled quietly to himself.

She was fast asleep, face devoid of stress or sadness.

There were a few smudges of dirt on her cheeks and forehead-which he kissed again.

This time she didn't wake up.


End file.
